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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29286231">Shadows on the water</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/StripedScribe/pseuds/StripedScribe'>StripedScribe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Febuwhump2021 [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drowning, FebuWhump2021, Gen, Unconsciousness, Water</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 05:27:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>968</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29286231</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/StripedScribe/pseuds/StripedScribe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He’d heard the splash, even from his perch on the rooftop. An instant panic, moving him, the sniper abandoned in place, hurtling down the stairs to the ground, sprinting to the docks. Looking over the water, the street-lights flickering strange shadows and patterns, looking for the fight of a body. There. Flailing arms, and he remembered their conversation from a few nights prior, that Red didn’t go near the Hudson unless he had to. That he’d fallen in too many times, and even now, couldn’t swim well enough, relied on luck, on chance, to find the right way out, the right way up. </p><p>Day 8 FebuWhump ["Hey, hey this is no time for sleep"]<br/>FrattWeek [Water]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Frank Castle &amp; Matt Murdock</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Febuwhump2021 [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2136723</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Fratt Week</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Shadows on the water</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He’d heard the splash, even from his perch on the rooftop. An instant panic, moving him, the sniper abandoned in place, hurtling down the stairs to the ground, sprinting to the docks. Looking over the water, the street-lights flickering strange shadows and patterns, looking for the fight of a body. There. Flailing arms, and he remembered their conversation from a few nights prior, that Red didn’t go near the Hudson unless he had to. That he’d fallen in too many times, and even now, couldn’t swim well enough, relied on luck, on chance, to find the right way out, the right way up.</p><p>And then this had dragged both of them there, a mission, one that was meant to be safe, to be simple. He stripped off his vest, quickly losing his shoes on the edge of the pier.  </p><p>Matt couldn’t swim.</p><p>And that was him, far out in the the Hudson, flailing in the water. In the new suit. That they’re remarked was heavier than the pyjamas, stronger, but heavier. He jumped into the water, the cold shocking him, a gasp for breath, ignoring it to swim.</p><p>But Matt couldn’t swim, and how had he got out that far, and he kept dropping below the water, horns splashing in the murk. “You’re an idiot Red. What if I wasn’t here.”</p><p>Frank could swim, could swim strong and fast, could grab Matt by the scruff of his suit so he didn’t fight him and bring them both under. “Red, Red, calm, I got you. Just float for a second, breathe.”</p><p>He was hyperventilating, and he’d taken on water, it rattled in every breath he took. He was exhausted, he could see it in the way he slumped in Frank’s grip, even as his body shook with cold and adrenaline. “Head up Red, we’re getting out of here. How’d you fall in?”</p><p>“They threw me in. I was losing. They had this, this thing, this weapon.” He slowly started paddling them back to the edge, pulling Red behind him.</p><p>“Keep your head up Red, keep kicking. They still there?”</p><p>“Don’t know. Can’t, can’t concentrate on that. Too much.”</p><p>“You getting sleepy on me? Keep kicking Red, show me you’re alive back there. We’ll get you up, into the warm.” The suit was a heavy weight, Matt’s kicks doing little to help them move along, even as he hoped their attackers had gone, that they weren’t going to be attacked again.</p><p>A panic, as he saw torches on the edge. Lights shining across the water. “Hold your breath Red.” He swam them down, deeper under the water, the weight of the suit easily dragging them down into the muddy water. His hand growing numb from where it was clenched around the fabric, but he couldn’t let go. Had to keep an eye on Red, check he wasn’t drowning next to him, keep them out of sight of the torches, the lights shining through the water.</p><p>The mask made it impossible to read his face. If he was holding his breath, or if he was slowly drowning. No air bubbles rising, he hadn’t lost the air in his lungs, he longed to be able to see his eyes. The tinge of his own lungs starting to burn had him rushing back to the surface, both gasping for breath as they broke through the water, trying to quieten themselves.</p><p>“No lights left. They’ve given up.”</p><p>“Wonderful.” Matt croaked back, resuming his puppy kicks, an attempt at helping to push them along. He was pale, sounding and looking awful. Each movement a little weaker, until he was just floating, barely keeping his head above water. Frank had to try and keep him up, all his strength in pulling him above the water.</p><p>“Hey, hey, this is no time to sleep. Red. Sleep when you’re home, sleep when you’re dead, but I really need your help now. Come on, we’re almost there.”</p><p>Nothing. Was he drowning? He had to stop and check.</p><p>“Red? RED.” He was out of it, breathing those harsh little gasps, lungs water-filled. Drowning. Fuck. Or shock, or something.</p><p>He resumed his frantic swimming to the waters edge, pulling him up and out onto a dock. “Red, wake up, we’re out.” All he was met with was a groan, a weak attempt of movement.</p><p>“Okay, fucking hell, you’re not supposed to be the damsel in distress Matt.” He pulled him up, dragging him along, his bare feet aching on the stone, water dripping from both of them. Up the steps to the road, finding his shoes along the way, wrapping the vest around Red for a little more warmth, dragging him to the van, stopping every few steps as a coughing fit overtook him. Getting him in, laid out in the back, trying to coax the heater to life. A rattle to match Matt’s as it started to give out a little heat, his hands shaking as he drove the short distance back to a safe-house.</p><p>Pulling Matt in, still sleepy and out of it, worryingly quiet and pale. Stripping him of the suit, wrapping him in blankets, encouraging him to cough up the rest of the water. Frank losing his own sodden clothes, getting the heating turned on, boiling water to fill bottles and placing them around them, curled in on the sofa to try and share what little body heat he had.  </p><p>“Come on Red, come back to me.”</p><p>Watching as the shaking settled in both of them, Matt’s death rattle fading, the warmth thawing them through. As he settled into a more peaceful sleep, exhaustion catching up to Frank as well.</p><p>“Fuck. My gun.”</p><p>He’d get it in the morning, if it was still there. He couldn’t move himself from this now, with Murdock curled up into him.</p>
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